TWO men allegedly implicated in the Tamworth "ice castle" investigation on gun supply allegations have been released from prison.
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Peter Trompa and Neil Edward Cook have been granted conditional bail in Tamworth Local Court, and ordered not to contact some of the alleged ringleaders of the ice castle.
Trompa and Cook have been behind bars since detectives swooped in a series of arrests and raids in Tamworth in May.
The Tamworth men are accused of being involved in what's been dubbed the Tamworth "ice castle" drug and gun supply ring, which was allegedly operating out of a Petra Avenue housing commission unit.
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Trompa has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to supply a firearm to someone unauthorised to possess it, and overcame a show-cause test and a previous bail bid on Monday to be released.
Magistrate Julie Soars ordered he be granted bail to live in Tamworth and report to police three times a week. He's also been ordered not to contact his co-accused.
Cook is accused of eight gun allegations including two counts of supplying pistols to persons unauthorised to possess it.
The 61-year-old faces up to 20 years' imprisonment if found guilty of the offences, which include possessing unauthorised pistols, and supplying and possessing unregistered firearms.
He too overcame a show-cause test under the state's bail laws, and will have to report to police three times a week, live in South Tamworth and is prohibited from taking drugs or drinking alcohol.
He's also prohibited from contacting alleged ringleader, Stephen Hanshaw.
Suri Samantha Phoumindr was due in the NSW Supreme Court on Monday after lodging another bid for bail, but the application was withdrawn and dismissed on the day.
The pair are part of a group of close to 20 men and women arrested by Strike Force Radius detectives and the Oxley Target Action Group (TAG) in Tamworth, Dubbo and Sydney.
Detectives are still preparing the briefs of evidence against Cook, along with many of his co-accused, who will return to court in Tamworth in September.
Two men - Hayden Lansdown, 23, from Tamworth and Ashley Hoye, 31, from the Central Coast - are wanted in connection to the ice castle sting. They're facing drugs and firearms charges and are allegedly avoiding police.
Simone Leah Hatch, Ethan Johnson, Andrew Thomas Woodbury and Simon Mitchell Cowan are on bail on drug supply charges, while Tamworth court was told last week solicitors for Melanie Caldwell and Cory Alan Cloake would make a bid for release in the coming weeks.
All the other accused - including Stephen Hanshaw and partner Rebecca Hanshaw - remain behind bars.
The Hanshaws face life behind bars if found guilty of large commercial supply of a prohibited drug.
Breanna Chillingworth
Northern Daily Leader Senior Crime and Court Reporter
Northern Daily Leader Senior Crime and Court Reporter
